Yup, it’s that damn Four Seasons again. I had taken a solemn vow never to give it another listen. But going cold turkey isn’t all that easy since it is a wonderful piece (actually, four pieces, one concerto for each of the seasons), and also because Fabio Biondi’s sensational violin playing has me panting for each of his new releases. No regrets here. Biondi’s a dynamo, playing with such freedom, slashing power, and, in the soulful slow movements, sugared sweetness, that the music sounds newly minted and fresh. He’s matched by his crack period-instrument band that plays with a unanimity and secure intonation that will dazzle those brought up on the scratchy whines of their northern bretheren. The rest of the disc–another concerto from the Op. 8 set and three of the best from Vivaldi’s Op. 3 concertos–is cut from the same gold cloth, brilliantly done. Virgin’s sound matches the performances–wide-ranging, dynamic, and crackling with energy.
But while this is a disc you should not be without, you already may have it on your shelves. There’s no hint anywhere on this full-priced release that it’s a reissue, but it actually is a repackaging of previous, and quite recent, releases. So all you impulse buyers out there, check first that you don’t own Virgin 45465, which includes all of Vivaldi’s Op. 8, of which the Four Seasons comprises the first four concertos–or Virgin 45315, which has the complete Op. 3.
If your search doesn’t unearth those treasures, you should know that they’re still available–and each of those two 2-disc sets has the same list price as this single disc reissue! This is the Four Seasons to have if you’re only having one. But prudence strongly suggests that if it’s the Four Seasons you want, Virgin 45465 is the best way to get it.
